The Effect of Using High FFA Rubber Seed Based Biodiesel With Cold and Hot EGR on Performance and Emissions of a CI Engine

Abstract

This paper analyses the effect of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on the engine performance and emissions of a compression ignition (CI) engine operating on diesel-biodiesel (rubber seed oil methyl ester) blends. Biodiesel operated engines generally produce less unburned hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and smoke compared to diesel fuel but more NOx emissions. NOx formation is a temperature dependent phenomenon and takes place when the combustion temperature is more than 2000K. EGR is an effective method for reducing NOx emissions in CI engines because it reduces the flame temperature and the oxygen concentration in the combustion chamber. In this study both hot EGR and cold EGR (5%, 10% and 15%) are used. It was found that NOx emission decreases substantially with both hot and cold EGR but smoke and carbon monoxide emissions are increasing with higher EGR rates. Brake thermal efficiency (BTE) increases with hot egr but cold EGR gives lower thermal efficiency than hot egr. Hot EGR emits less smoke and less NOx at higher loads compared to cold EGR. It was observed that exhaust gas between 10% and 15% can be recirculated for getting better results. The use of EGR is thus considered to be one of the most effective in reducing NOx emissions.